Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content

District Municipality of Muskoka Logo District of Muskoka Print Logo

Contact UsContact Us
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Categories
    • Airport
    • Area Municipalities
    • Business, Planning & Development
    • Careers and Volunteering
    • Children and Seniors
    • Community Services and Support
    • Council
    • EnviroHub
    • Finance and Administration
    • Garbage and Recycling
    • Health and Emergency Services
    • Housing
    • Provincial Offences Court
    • Roads and Transportation
    • Water and Sewer
    • Engage Muskoka
    • Feedback and Engagement
    • News and Public Notices

Feedback and Engagement

Historic Waste Sites

HomeGarbage and RecyclingSpecial and Seasonal ProgramsHistoric Waste Sites
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email this page Email

The District of Muskoka is responsible for the care and maintenance of 37 active and closed waste sites across the municipality. On January 1, 1996, all waste management powers were transferred to the District as several Area Municipalities had either faced or were about to face a waste disposal crisis. On June 16, 2014, the District assumed ownership and responsibility of all municipally-owned closed waste disposal sites within the District.  

The District is committed to preventing and addressing impacts from historic waste sites. Environmental monitoring and remediation projects represent an important on-going commitment by the District to address impacts from historic landfilling. Responsibility for any closed or inactive landfill site can include a wide variety of activities from monitoring and reporting, excavation and waste removal, maintenance of surface cover placed on the site, tree planting and hydroseeding, ensuring site security, and completing routine inspections to identify any areas of improvement.

To date, the District has invested $1.9 million on environmental monitoring/reporting and $1.8 million on remediation and maintenance projects. The care of these sites is part of the District’s commitment to environmental stewardship and building a better waste system for Muskoka.

Port Carling – Remediation Activities – Fall 2022

The District completed remedial work at the Port Carling closed landfill located near the Hazelwood trail in Port Carling in September 2022. The project included removing buried and exposed waste along the trail and along the edges of the closed landfill footprint. 

Brackenrig, Watt, and Ullswater – Remediation Activities – Summer 2022

Exposed waste was removed and cover was maintained at the Watt, Brackenrig, and Ullswater closed landfills, located in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, throughout the summer of 2022. This resulted in numerous tonnes of waste being removed from the site. Once complete, grass seed was applied to the areas where waste was present. 

Photo Gallery: Brackenrig Watt and Ullswater will appear here on the public site.
Finlayson and Draper – Remediation Activities – 2019, 2021

District staff completed a manual clean-up of the Finlayson and the Draper closed landfills, located in Lake of Bays and Bracebridge, respectively, resulting in several truckloads of exposed waste being removed from the sites. 

Photo Gallery: Finlayson and Draper Clean-up will appear here on the public site.
Sparrow Lake – Restoration Activities – 2019 to 2020

At the Sparrow Lake closed landfill in Gravenhurst, work was completed in two areas, the eastern and northern sections of the former landfill. Work on the eastern portion included the burial of exposed waste, placement of clean soil materials as final cap, and the application of topsoil and grass seed to the area. In the northern portion, some asphalt waste was removed however, upon determining the volume was much greater than originally expected, the remaining asphalt was buried and appropriate materials were used as a soft cap. 

Photo Gallery: Sparrow Lake will appear here on the public site.
Housey’s Rapids – Restoration Activities – Fall 2019

At the Housey’s Rapids closed landfill in Gravenhurst, grading, final capping, and hydroseeding activities were completed onsite. Additionally, a gravel parking lot was laid for users of the nearby trail and fencing and gating were installed around the parking lot to restrict access to the former waste management site.

Photo Gallery: Housey's Rapids will appear here on the public site.

For more information on the environmental monitoring and remediation projects completed by the District, please see report: PW-5-2022-1 Environmental Monitoring and Remediation

Subscribe to page updates
Garbage and Recycling
    • No Time to Waste
    • Collection Impacts and Delays
    • Collection Programs
      • Curbside Garbage Collection
      • Green Bin Organics Collection
      • Recycling
    • Drop-Off Locations and Landfill
      • Rosewarne Landfill
    • Find Your Collection Schedule
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Report a Missed Collection
    • Special and Seasonal Programs
      • Donate Reusable Items
      • Electronic Waste Drop-Off
      • Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off
      • Leaf and Yard Waste
      • Waste Management in the Township of Georgian Bay
      • Waste Management in the Township of Lake of Bays
      • Historic Waste Sites
      • Holiday Waste Guide
    • Where Does It Go - Put Waste in its Place
    • Clean Muskoka Together
    • Bear Wise Tips

Contact Us

District Municipality of Muskoka footer logo

Contact Us

The District Municipality of Muskoka

70 Pine Street
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1N3

Phone: 705-645-2100
Fax: 705-645-5319

  • Quick Links

    • Accessibility
    • Freedom of Information and Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Sitemap
    • Website Feedback
    • SIMON
  • Connect with Us

View our Twitter Page Twitter

© Copyright 2021 The District Municipality of Muskoka

Designed by eSolutionsGroup

Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.